309
its exact counterpart here. It is argued, moreover, that education is universal in China and that the 26. Ap-li Chan which, in 1869 had simply a free site, received last year a grant-in-aid, the port coolie' can read and write. This is one of the many fallacies which prevail on the subject being abandoned. This is by far the best of these schools and if classified with the whole of of China and its people. It is only after a certain stage of material comfort has been reached that Village Schools, without regard to grant or otherwise, would stand ninth in order. The high people can turn their thoughts to anything which is not naterial; and, until we have many more number of scholars on the roll was 41 and the lowest 30. The regular attendance averaged 31. people among the poorer classes in Hongkong who have not to go and earn a meal before they can 27. These schools differ from the ordinary Village Schools simply in this, that the villagesave been in the way of visiting the villages on the mainland say that the state of Hongkong is not eat it, it is almost folly to discuss comprehensive schemes of education for their benefit. Those who provide the school-house and select the master, who gets, or is supposed to get, one half of his salary
As the in kind, from the parents of his scholars and the other half, amounting to sixty dollars a year, feculiar. Every village has its school, but only a fraction of the village children attend it. Government.
Chinese Government affords them no assistance, those who wish their children taught must take the whole burden of the school-master's salary on themselves. This, in such poverty-stricken places, 28. It was thought, at the commencement, that this system of grants-in-aid would meet mareludes the very poor, who are by far the majority; and if poor parents, by dint of much self-denial, difficulties and might probably be extended in time to all the Village Schools. It enables should be able to send one of the family to school, it is all that they can possibly accomplish. The villagers to choose their own school-master, a privilege which they consider peculiarly their own result is that, while ten or twelve may be found in the school, scores of children are to be seen on which they very reluctantly resign. It was thought, also, that by having to provide one half the hill-sides tending the cattle. master's salary they would be more anxious to have their children taught by way of a return for th expense incurred, and that they would be a check on the master,--a safeguard, I am sorry to sa not so unnecessary as it might be.
European and American children of both sexes.
35. Perhaps the greatest educational want in Hongkong is that of a school, or schools, for In spite of the facilities afforded by St. Saviour's 29. These hopes are a long way from their realization. Application for a grant-in-aid in too children taught. The school need not be a free one.
College and the Convent, many residents must have much difficulty in knowing how to get their After the preliminary expenses of Site and cases means simply a source of revenue to the village. Government is a fair object for plunde Building, with which Government might fairly charge itself, the fees would go far to make the The want of a school is first discerned by a needy and place-less school-master. circuit of the village, full of promises of many good things to come.
The next step is school self-supporting. It has been often suggested that the Colonial Chaplain might have such a The next is a petition, compose school under his immediate care, but subject to Government supervision. Under whatever regula- by himself, but purporting to be from the villagers, setting forth the poverty of the village as extremtions it might ultimately be placed, such a school is very much wanted, and it is matter of astonish- the ignorance of the children as appalling and the merits of the aspiring school-master as unparalleles ment that parents have not long ago made a strenuous movement in this direction. The last step is a deputation for the presentation of the petition. All this is, outwardly, as it shoul be; but, behind so much fair seeming, there has been no lack of cleanery,--a hard driven bargaine the part of the villagers for so much hard cash for the privilege of teaching their children, but pro bly taking the form of so much rent for the school-house, albeit the petition distinctly states that the village provides the school-house free.
30. When the master is appointed, everything goes well for several months, perhaps for the whole year, but, by that time, envy has done its work. Another candidate appears and larger pr mises are made or exacted. The petition is now to the effect that the master is as bad as he s formerly good and that the new candidate is the only man who can repair the injury done to t school. When any reluctance is shown to comply with the request, it is pretty plainly intimate that if the new man is not accepted there will be no children at school next year.
Schools were such as to enable me to pay them fewer than monthly visits. As the Central School 36. I have only, in conclusion, to add that I should be very glad if the state of the Village advances my time is more and more required in it. As each additional master has been added more work has been rendered possible, and as long as the possible is not actual, a school is not in the state in which it ought to be.
I have the honour to remain,
Colonial Secretary,
SC.,
$c.,
31. Something of this nature is now going on at Little Hongkong. The master there was thThe Honourable J. GARDINER AUSTIN, people's choice some years ago. It so happens that the Ti-po of the village has a son who aspires t the office of school-master. Towards the end of the year, the Ti-po headed a deputation from the village and presented a petition against the present school-master and in favour of the aspiring o The catalogue of the former's demerits was long, but not longer than that of the latter's merits. A attempt was made to convince the deputation that they were greatly to blame for not making th charges at the time the faults were alleged to have occurred, thus giving an opportunity of enquiri into them. They had no time to come and do so was all their answer.
32. The school-master was informed of what had been done and probably taxed the village with their deceit, for they soon returned with a complete change of argument. The present maste had enjoyed the salary for many years and it was now time that another should have his turn of i This was not to be listened to and the deputation was plainly told so. Shortly after, the Ti returned alone and wanted to know definitely whether the new master would be accepted or no When told that be certainly would not, the old man retorted so impudently that there should the be no scholars that nothing but his gray hairs saved him from forcible extrusion. A scheme of similar sort is understood to be maturing at Ma-t'an Ts'ün. As has been often said, the Governmen is the obliged party when the villagers condescend to let their children learn to read.
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
TABLE I
FREDERICK STEWART, Inspector of Government Schools.
Job the
the Ketum
NUMBER of SCHOLARS taught in the Government Schools during 1870, and Expense of each School.
1. Aberdeen,
4 Apali Chan,
3. Bowrington,
4. Central School,
5. Girls' School,
6. Hok Ün...
7. Hang Honi,
8. Little Hongkong,
9. Ma-t'an Ch'ung,.
10. Ma-t'in Te'ün,
11. Mong Kok,..
13. Shek Shan,.
12. Cháu ki Wán,
14. Stanley,
33. Attention is, as usual, called in Table VI to the number of uneducated children in the Colc This is done simply because it is well to have such a fact fairly presented and fairly looked at. blame is attachable to any one, it is to the parents, because they have only to show the slight willingness to have their children taught to secure attention to their case. It will probably be suf ciently evident from what has already been said that if left to themselves the parents, in the major of instances, have no great desire for the instruction of their children. If education were made obligat 17. To-kwa Wán, (Hak-ka), one point would certainly be gained, but only one. The extreme poverty of many of the people the villages and in boats would throw on the Government the onus of clothing and feeding, well "as educating, if any compulsory scheme were enacted.
34. To find an exact parallel to the state of things here we must go back a century or two in t history of our own country. Education there has not had its present extensive diffusion by any fa It has been a gradual and a very gradual process. We have the whole of that gradual process to through in Hongkong, although there is a tendency in most of us to forget or ignore that fact, a to imagine that the nineteenth century in England means the nineteenth century in Hongkong, which comes to the same thing, that there is no reason why what is done in England should not ha
15. Tang-lung Chau, (Hak-ka), 16. Tang-lung Chau, (Pán-ti),
18. To-kwa Wan, (Hok-lo),
10. Webster's Crescent, 20. West End,
21. West Point, (Hak-ka), 22. West Point, (Pún-ti), 24. You-ma Ti, 23. Wong-nai Chung,
Boys.
GIRLS.
**
TOTAL.
40.00
EXPENSE.
34
3
37
$ 0. 123.00
52
63
68
21
92
374.00
337
337
10,527.17
1
62
570.50
18
18
51.95
14
14
61.50
20
20
64.00
21
21
48.71
B5
37
65.00
26
26
€3.50
41
41
114.38
85
-35
70.00
51
51
324.00
53
53
126.00
41
41
181.50
25
25
51.25
16
22
63.00
44
48
958.00
52
56
259.00
64
64
249.00
78
4
27
265.00
21
21
122.00
49
3
52
51.25
1,101
111
1,802
14,232.01
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